Game 3: Southeast
11 vs.
Midwest 3

Warner Robins Scores Late To Secure Win

Author: Zach Swartz

Source: South Williamsport, Pa.

Date/Time: Friday, August 21, 2009, 5:00pm ET

The score was 5-3 heading into the sixth inning of game 3 of the Little
League World Series Friday. But at the end, it was an 11-3 victory for Warner
Robins American Little League (Ga.) over the Iowa representative from Urbandale.

Taking that two-run lead into the final inning, the Southeast champions were
looking for some insurance runs—but they weren’t necessarily looking to score
six.

“That’s what we talked about in the dugout,” Warner Robins manager Randy Jones
said. “I said give me one, maybe two runs. I said I could work with one because
they were within three or four of us and if we could tack on a few I felt we
would be okay. But that’s a little more than I asked for.”

After a ground out to lead off the final frame, the Southeast Region champions
put a half a dozen on the board, thanks to two singles, two doubles, an error
and a pair of home runs.

Warner Robins had been living off the long ball for most of the game. Leadoff
hitter Justin Jones, who hit the first pitch of the game to left center field
for a double, gave his team a 2-0 lead in the third when he stroked a ball just
over the right center field fence.

Three innings later, he would hit his second as part of the sixth inning hit
show.

“I hadn’t done that (hit two home runs in a game) this whole all-star season, so
it’s pretty cool,” Jones said. “He threw it right down Sesame Street, as the
people on the team like to call it.”

Left fielder Spencer Sato had the other home run in the frame, and outfielder
Trey Maddox added one of his own in the fourth.

Urbandale, the Midwest regional champion, scored three runs without an RBI. Its
first two runs scored in the first inning on a wild pitch and throwing error.
The third run was a result of another wild pitch in the fourth inning.

Urbandale hits came off the bat of starting pitcher Trae Cropp, catcher Cole
Scieszinski and first baseman Jake Quirk.
It was enough to keep the game close, but in the end Warner Robins’ power proved
to be the difference.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of staying in the game, knowing we were
there, down 5-3 late in the game,” Urbandale manager Scott Grau said. “We were
in a position late to steal a game we thought we had no business being in, to be
honest. Again, give (Warner Robins) credit - they changed all that quickly in
the top of the sixth inning.”

The Warner Robins team, which came into the World Series 18-0 in postseason
play, is playing through a lot of expectations. The league’s softball
counterparts recently won the Little League Softball World Series. The winner of
the 2007 Little League World Series was also a team from Warner Robins.

“To sit back and watch the girls go all the way to the World Series and we sit
around for days - we’re making friends and it’s a lot of fun,” Jones said. “But
I was so eager to get this first one out of the way. It was about to drive me
crazy.”

Warner Robins (1-0) will take on Mid-Atlantic regional champion South Shore
National Little League (N.Y.) (1-0) Saturday at 3 p.m. as the two Pool A winners
on the first day meet. Urbandale (0-1) faces Northwest regional champion Mercer
Island Little League (Wash.) (0-1) at noon on Sunday.
.